Wolf Species

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The Grey Wolf, which is also called the ‘Timber Wolf’ and is commonly referred to simply as the ‘wolf’, has numerous subspecies. Some sub species of wolf are quite rare and many are endangered species. Find out more about the Grey Wolf and its numerous subspecies below, either click on the image or the name of the wolf:

The Grey Wolf (Canis Lupus), also known as the ‘Timber Wolf’ was once in abundance and distributed over North America, Eurasia and the Middle East. However, because of human-related activity such as destruction of habitat and excessive hunting, Grey Wolves now only occupy a fraction of their former range. Read more….

The Red Wolf (Canis Rufus), is the rarest and most endangered of all the wolf species.The Red Wolfs original distribution included much of eastern North America, where Red Wolves were found from Pennsylvania in the east, Florida in the south, and Texas in the west. Read more…

The Ethiopian Wolf (Canis simensis)is known by many names in its range. Locally it is known as ‘ky kebero’, which means red jackal. It is also known as: Simien jackal, Abyssinian wolf, Simien fox and Ethiopian jackal. Read more….

The Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is the rarest, most genetically distinct subspecies of the Grey Wolf in North America. It is also one of the smallest subspecies, reaching an overall length no greater than 135 centimetres. Read more….

The Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus arctos), also called Polar Wolf or White Wolf, is a mammal of the Canidae family and a subspecies of the Grey Wolf. Arctic Wolves inhabit the Canadian Arctic and the northern parts of Greenland. Read more….

The Eastern Wolf (Canis lupus lycaon), also know as Eastern Canadian Wolf or Eastern Canadian Red Wolf is traditionally considered to be a subspecies of the Grey Wolf. Sometimes it is also viewed as a result of historical hybridizations between grey wolves and red wolves or coyotes. Read more….

The Eurasian Wolf (Canis lupus lupus), also known as the Common Wolf, European Wolf, Carpathian Wolf, Steppes Wolf, Tibetan Wolf and Chinese Wolf is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) surviving mostly in Central Asia. Read more….

The Italian Wolf (Canis lupus italicus), also known as the Apennine Wolf, is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf found in the Apennine Mountains in Italy. It was first described in 1921 and recognised as a distinct subspecies in 1999. Read more….

The Tundra Wolf (Canis lupus albus), is a subspecies of Grey Wolf that can be found throughout northern Europe and Asia, primarily in the northern arctic and boreal regions of Russia. Read more….

The Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) appears as a cross among different species: the head and colouring of a wolf, the large ears of an African hunting dog and the body of a hyena. Read more….

More Living Sub-species of Wolf

Wolf Type

Classification

Range

Status

Arabian Wolf

Canis lupus arabs

Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman

Critically endangered, declining

A very small subspecies. Typically blended brown or completely brown with a thin coat. Hunted regularly as a nuisance animal, though rarely encountered.

Caspian Sea Wolf

Canis lupus cubanensis

Between the Caspian and Black seas

Endangered, declining

A smaller subspecies. Hunted as a nuisance animal.

Egyptian Wolf

Canis lupus lupaster

Far Northern Africa

Critically endangered, unknown

A smaller subspecies. Usually a grizzled or tinged grey or brown. Lanky. Very rarely encountered.

An average-sized subspecies. Usually grey, black, buff, or reddish. The most common subspecies in the contiguous U.S. Hunted legally in parts of Canada.

Indian Wolf

Canis lupus pallipes

Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India

Endangered, declining

A very small subspecies. Typically tawny, buff, or reddish with a very short, dense coat. Hunted as a nuisance animal.

MacKenzie Valley Wolf

Canis lupus occidentalis

Alaska, Northern Rockies, Western and Central Canada

Stable

A very large subspecies. Usually black or a blended grey or brown, but full colour spectrum represented. This subspecies was reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and Idaho starting in 1995. Hunted legally in Alaska and parts of Canada. Protected in the contiguous states.